The Way of the Sword
by a1boogz
Summary: [COMPLETE]A Kenshin Series, just give it a shot.
1. Prolouge

Alex Hyacinthe  
English 281  
2/5/01  
Gabriel Gudding  
  
Kenshin, The Silent Blade of Justice  
A Prolougue  
  
Kenshin, the master assassin, slid silently to the damp ground. He stood for a moment, glancing around, making sure his trail was secure, then he darted off further into the shadows. During his escape from the mansion, Kenshin had not even had time to wipe the blood from his blade. Troops had materialized from the dark corners of the house like roaches. They were not particularly difficult to handle, but the sheer number of them had threatened to overwhelm him. Now that he was off the Lord's property he knew the chances of being apprehended had lessened somewhat, but he would have been a fool to let his guard down. It had to have been an ambush.  
Although Kenshin was the most skilled warrior in the land, he was not much more than an errand boy. He was given assignments and he always saw them finished, one way or another. To some this may have seemed like an insult to the one deemed " The Silent Blade of Justice", but Kenshin was quite content with his lifestyle. The murmers and rumors were easily ignored.  
As soon as the assignment had been given to him something did not feel right. By the soft, flickering glow of a candle he read the anonymous letter and prepared immediately for the job. Once he got there, however, a the shit really started to hit the fan, he knew he had been set up.  
A soft rain began to fall as Kenshin darted through the alleys and side streets of Kyoto. Firing a grapple to the roof of one building, Kenshin climbed to complete the last leg of his journey. He would not be going home tonight, he was still in need of information.  



	2. Chapter 1

Alex Hyacinthe  
English 281  
Gabriel Gudding  
2/12/01  
  
Blade By Night  
  
The forest had gone suddenly quiet, as if a greater being had flipped a switch, shutting the sound off. Kenshin stood deathly still as he waited for the inevitable. It was the tiny click of the crossbow that registered in his hearing first. The crossbow arrow thunked into the tree, where moments before the Kenshin had been standing. He was no longer there, of course. The day's last rays of sunlight began to falter, as the forest's stillness increased. A light breeze shook the gnarled limbs of the trees.  
Barely daring to breathe, the assassin waited in his hiding spot for some sign of movement. He was aware of the fact that his arrow had missed, and he knew that Kenshin would never run from a duel. Scanning the area, the assassin's eyes strained to pick up anything unordinary. But all he could see were the lengthening shadows as dusk began to grow into night.  
The attack caught him by surprise, but his reflexes saved him, as Kenshin swooped down from above, blade flashing in the newly born moonlight. The assassin flipped quickly to one side, and his enemy's blade struck the earth harmlessly.  
Moonlight bounced off the soft puddles on the ground and sparkled over leaves, wet from the day's rain. Small, crystalline drops of water were splayed into the air, as the breeze continued to buffet the trees, blowing their branches to and fro. The two warriors stood for a moment, each carefully considering his next move. Kenshin's red hair burned against the darkness for an instant as the moon's beam passed over him. Then he attacked.  
Kenshin's swipe struck against his attackers blade, and, almost before the sound of metal grinding on metal could be heard, he had spun off his attacker, and released another blow directed at his legs. The would-be assassin stumbled back, as the blade bit into his shin. His blood showered the earth beneath, which took on a dull-red hue. Struggling back to his feet, the man's glittering weapon stuck out wildly towards Kenshin. Unfazed he redirected the blow, leading the man's wayward blade into a tree.  
A sickening scream filled the evening air, but it was quickly cut off. Red danced on the edge of Kenshin's blade for a moment, and then it was wiped off on the dead man's body. Sliding his blade back into its sheath, the master assassin turned away from the death, and continued his journey into the forest.  



	3. Chapter 2

Alex Hyacinthe  
Revelations: A Warrior's Creed  
  
As abruptly as it had begun, the rain stopped. Emerging from the damp, silent forest, Kenshin was struck by dazzling sunlight. It had been three days since he left Kyoto, and another one since he had entered the woods. But his memory had not failed him. He had reached his destination.  
The wooden shack looked as if it might collapse at any moment. Pressed up against the side of a hill, an unwitting traveler could have easily missed the structure, but Kenshin was not one to lose his wits. Wiping his brow, Kenshin trudged towards the shack.  
He was blind. Kenshin knew that before he entered the hut. But he did not let the man's lack of sight fool him. As if reading the master assassin's mind the man spoke:   
" I was wondering how long it would take you." Despite the hardships he had been through over the past few days, Kenshin found himself smiling.  
" Hello master, I came as fast as I could." The old man spared him grim smile before fixing his sightless eyes directly on Kenshin's. Their gazes stayed locked for a moment, finally Kenshin turning his eyes aside. The man nodded satisfactorily: " Well, why have you returned here instead of seeking shelter? Did you accomplish your mission?" Kenshin's eyes widened for an instant, he had not mentioned a mission. Suddenly all the pieces came together.  
Allowing his hand to fall down towards his blade, Kenshin approached the man carefully. " Yes master, the mission is complete." The old man smiled: " Excellent. You must never forget, the mission takes priority over all else, including one's honor. After the mission, all slights against one's honor must be taken care of, and after that, well it is a matter of personal choice."  
Defying logic, the blind man paced over to the window, and threw it open, the sun bouncing off of his face and around inside the shack. He then turned to his one time pupil. Kenshin watched, as the light seemed to give the older man a glowing aura. Then he drew his sword.  
The master smiled at the student: " I did not think I would be able to fool you for long," reaching to a rack against the wall, the man drew his own weapon, " come then, let us dance." Aura glowing a dull blue, the man lashed out with his first attack...  
As the sun set, Kenshin rose from his kneeling position. Knodding his head at the freshly dug grave, he bid his master a final farewell before heading off into the setting sun. " Cargas Forthwith, he...to the west," the old man had gurgled before relinquishing his last bit of life. Now Kenshin was determined to pay Mr. Forthwith a visit.  



End file.
